K Stephen Gostkowski closing in on Patriots’ record
New England Patriots Gostkowski has missed only one field goal in the last 23 tries this season. What is even more impressive is that with 17 straight field goals made, Gostkowski is only six field goals away from tying the franchise record of consecutive field goals, currently at 23 and held by the great Adam Vinatieri.
However, Gostkowski told the Providence Journal he’s not thinking about it:
I don’t openly talk about it. I’m not superstitious, but I don’t like to talk about it. I really don’t think about it. It’s a game-to-game thing. Obviously, you guys want to talk about it.
Even if he doesn’t break the record, Gostkowski is having a great season. He is perfect in point-after attempts, and his 90 total points are second in the league, only three points behind Seattle kicker Stephen Hauschka. His 22 field goals made are tied for second, and he is only one behind Jets kicker Nick Folk.
Besides accuracy, he has shown consistent power. In the kickoff department, 38 of his 54 kickoff have resulted in touchbacks. He kicked a career long 54-yard field last month against New Orleans, and he broke Vinatieri’s franchise record for field goals of 50 yards or more with nine. He is 9-of-12 in 50+ yard field goals in his career.
“I don’t keep up with stats,” said Gostkowski. “Obviously I can tell when I’m kicking good, but I don’t compare myself to other people how or to how many I kick compared to other years.”
Even head coach Bill Belichick praised his kicker:
I think he’s had good year, yup. He’s kicked off well. Other than the field goal before the half in the first Jet game, he’s been really consistent with his field-goal and extra-point kicking. He’s had a good year.
Now all he has to do is keep it up.
“It’s a tough place to kick. The AFC East is tough with Buffalo and New York. Even Miami can be windy at times,” Gostkowski said. “Cold is not bad. Wind is not bad. But cold and wind together is a nightmare for our position. But we practice in it every day. It’s nothing I’m not used to, being here for my eighth season. There are not too many times you go into a game and say, ‘Ah, I haven’t played in this kind of weather before.’”